Iran is back at making fantastic claims about its domestically built weapons. The latest announcement, via the Iranian regime-run Tehran Times, touts the beginning of the manufacture process of a newly developed “stealth” fighter–locally made, of course:
The “stealth” program cannot be verified, but the regime has a long history of making outrageous claims about the capabilities of the domestic defense industry. The Islamic Republic’s Air Force touted the Lightning, or Azarakhsh, as a fighter comparable to the U.S. F-18 in August 2006. In reality the plane is a refurbish/reengineered version of the 40-year-old U.S. F-5 export fighter. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps touted a home-made “supersonic torpedo” with a top speed of 233 miles per hour in April 2006. “Even if enemy warship sensors identify the missile, no warship can escape from this missile because of its high speed,” said General Ali Fadavi, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard. The reality is this was a remanufacture of the Soviet-era VA-111 Shkval torpedo. During the same timeframe, Iran claimed it developed stealthy ballistic missiles capable of deploying multiple warheads. This “advanced” missile appears to be the Soviet SS-26 theater ballistic missile. In perhaps the most humorous example of Iranian-made “stealth” technology, in April 2006 the military touted its stealthy “super-modern flying boat” (which looks anything but). “Due to its advanced design, no radar at sea or in the air can detect it. It can lift out of the water,” Iranian state television reported. The flying boat, called the Great Prophet, was “all Iranian-made and can launch missiles with precise targeting while moving.” This boat is so “super-stealthy” it hasn’t been seen deployed in the Persian Gulf since the announcement. For more, check out this classic: “Iran’s Super Missile Will Defeat Great Satan, Steal Your Girlfriend.”
